Marking device



Nov. 10, 1931. W. w. I AsKER, JR

MARKING DEVICE Filed June 8. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet Nov. 1o, 1931.

w. w. L'AsKER. .JR

MARKING DEVICE Filed June 8, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR www@ Patented Nov. 10,v 1931 WILLIAM w. msnen, Jn.,

or BndoKLYN, NEW Yom:

MAB/KING' DEVICE Application led June 8 This invention relatesto marking devices, and particularly to marking devices for depositing electrical conducting material on cards, or other documents for indicating `data von such documents. Documents of the type to which I refer are made the subject matter of my issued Letters Patent 1,567,325, issued December 29, 1925, and one form of marking device is shown in my issued Letters Patent 1,573,174, issued February 16, 1926.

' The main object of the present invention is to produce a marking device controlled by keys or manipulative members for applying the spots or marks of electrical conducting 15. material to the documents.

Another object is to produce a device of this type in which the card and marking instrumentalities are moved relatively to each other so as to automatically bring dierent columns '20 or zones of the card into marking relation with the marking instrumentalities.

Another object is to produce a device of this type which shall be simple of construction, cheap to manufacture, and highly elcient for the purpose for which it is designed.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent as the specification proceeds, the invention resides in certain novel l construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and specificallyV pointed out in the appended claims. The

means for accomplishing all of'these objects is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view substantiall)T on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.y p Fig. 3 is a vertical, transverse section on line 3 3, Fig. 2. I

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail view of one of the marking instrumentalities.`

'Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the? esca ment stop mechanism.

44.5 Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top plan yiew of a lsecond embodiment of my inventlon- Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken sub-l stantially on line 7-7 ,of Fig. 6. Like charactersof reference' refer to Alike 50. parts in all views.

l the card stop 12 at the left of 1928. Serial No. 283,885.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 10 represents the base of the machine, whichk may beof any suitable material and sha e to`surpport the working parts of the mac ine. o this base are secured suitable side and end document guides 11 and 12 which may be made adjustable if desired so as to accommodate several sizes of documents. A card 13 is shown in Fig. 1 as held by these-guides in position for depositing thereon the electrical conducting material. The usual data I card is shown, having its face divided into columns, each,` column bearing indicia runnin fromV 0 to 12, altho, ofcourse, the

car may have more or less or different in- 66- dicia on it and the document itself may he either a card or any other suitable data receiving element. v

AA carriage frame 14 which ma be a casting, and is so shown, is mounte on wheels or rollers 15 and rides onrails 150 formed on or secured to the base 10 and is held down by guide rails 16 removably secured to the side walls 17 of the base 1G. The carriage is therefore movable over the card 13. The carriage may belimited in its movement by the machine asv seen in Fig. 2, or by other suitable limiting means. x The extent of movement of the carriage toward the right may be limited by an adjustable screw 151 mounted in a. lug 152 on the base plate 10, as seen in Fig. 2. The carriage frame 14 is provided with a lurality of wells or countersinks 18. A pate 19 is secured to the carriage frame and pierced 85 by apertures 20 which are smaller than and concentric with the bottoms of countersinks 18, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to form shoulders or spring seats 190. Mounted in each a marking 'device somewhat similar to the individual device shown in my ,Patent No. 1,573,174, and shown in detail in F1 4. Mounted in the carriage lframe 14-an exp-I, tendin into each countersinklS is arespective p1n 21, the inner 4end of suchpin 21 extending into a spiral slot'22 in Aa respective holder 23. The upper end of each holder 23 is positioned under a respective key lever 26" and is ladapted of the countersinks 18 is 90- lo be depressed thereby.

-the column from which Respective springs 25 tend constantly to force their holders 23 to their uppermost position. Mounted in each holder 23 is a carrier bar 24 which carries electrical conducting material 240. A pin 241 is secured in each carrier 24 vand extends into a vertical slot 242 in the respective holder 23. A spring 243 tends constantly to hold the carrierv in its extruded position with relation to holder 23.

It will now be seen that normally the hold ers 23 are held by springs 25 so as to raise carriers 24 until their electrical conducting material 240 is out of contact with a document supported by the base plate 10. When, however, a key lever 26 moves down against its respective holder 23, it depresses the latter, and with it, the respective carrier 24, the whole being 'ven a spiral movement by the coaction of pin 21 with spiral slot 22. When the material 240 strikes the paper or card, the carrier is arrested from further vertical movement and holder 23 continues its downward movement thereby whirling or twisting material 240 so as to deposit a spot of electrical conducting material on the paper, card or document 13. The parts are returned to normal by springs 25 and 243.

The countersinks 18 are arranged so as to bring a respective carrier 24 over each of the ,respective indicia of a column.

`As shown 1n the drawings, there are thirteen key levers, twelve of which are indicated by the reference numeral 26, and the thirteenth of whi ch is indicated by reference numeral 27. All of the key levers are mounted on a pivot rod 28 carried by upwardly pro- ]ecting ears 29 on the carriage iframe and extend toward the right end ofthe machine as shown in Fig. 1. Each of the key levers 26 passes over a respective holder 23 and is' the head thereof when button 29 is depressed. The key lever 27 does not pass over any countersink 18 or holder 23 and is used to step the carriage from one column to another where it is not desired to make any mark in the carriage is being adapted to depress the respective key stepped. Pivot-ed in lbearings in the upwardly pro- )ecting portions 30' ofthe carriage frame is a bar or shaft 31. A portion of this bar between the ends of the same is flattened and receives a trip plate 32 having an upturned front portion 33 extending under all of the key levers 26 and 27. Springs 34 secured at one end to a comb-plate 36 on the carriage frame 14 andl at the other end to respective pins extending outwardly from the plate 32, tend constantly to turn the shaft 31 in" a counter-clockwise direction as seen in Figs. 1

and 2, so as to bring the lip or flange 33 into close proximity to the key levers 264 and 27. Springs 35 are secured to a comb-plate 36 mounted on the carriage frame, and normally hold the keys 26 and 33 and rock the shaft 31.

The comb-plate 36 is provided on its lower edge with a plurality of serrations or slots in which the key levers 26 and 27 are guided, and the uppbr lends of these slots limit the upward movement of the key levers. v

It is obvious that when any of the key levers 26 or 27 is rocked by depressing the respective key button 29, it will engage the flan This shaftv 31 is attached to an escapement mechanism, which will presently be described, and at each rocking of the shaft the carriage will be permitted to move one columnar space, thereby bringing the marking instrumentalities 240 from cooperative relation with one column of the card 13 to cooperative relation with the next adjacent column of the card.

The carriage is provided with an anchor element 37 to which is attached one end of a tape 38 which passes over an idler 39 and is secured to the spring-drum 40 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The tendency of spring 40, is therefore, to draw the carriage from left to right as 'seen in Figs. 1 and 2.

Mounted on the side of the machine is a gear rack 42, the tee-th of which mesh with a gear pinion 43 rotatable on a stub shaft or stud 44 secured to the side of the carriage frame. Secured to the pinion 43 is a spacing collar or hub 45 and a ratchet wheel 46. The members 43, 45 and 46 are permanently secured together so as to move as a single unit. As shown in Fig. 5, the ratchet wheel 46 is normally enga-ged with a pawl or dog 47 loosely mounted on shaft 31 and retained in engagement with the ratchet wheel by a spring 48. Secured on the shaft 3.1, so as to move therewith, is a vsecondary ratchet pawl 49 having a finger 50 adapted to engage a pln 51 on the pawl 47.

When a key is-depressed so as to turn the bar 31 counter-clockwise, as seen in Fig. 5, the pawl 49 has its tooth brought into the path of movement of the teeth on the ratchet wheel and its finger 50 by engagement with pin 51 lifts the pawl 47 until it is disengaged from the ratchet wheel 46. The ratchet wheel now turns slightly under the impulse of spring 4() until the advancing tooth thereof is engaged by the pawl 49. When the key is released and the bar 31 is permitted to return to normal under impulse of its springs 34, Fig.

1, the pawl 47 again moves into the path of movement of the teeth on the ratchet wheel 46 and the pawl 49 is withdrawn from enga gement with the ratchet wheel. The ratchet wheel nowadvances until the next succeeding tooth engages the pawl 47. The purpose of the loose connection between the pawls is to permit engagement/of the pawl 47 with a relatively high part of one of the teeth on the ratchet Wheel 46 during its return movement, so that the pawlsl move as a unitary piece during depression of the keys, but may move 27 in elevated position. separately according to their requirements .ment of the carriage.

upon the release of the keys; and also to permit the pawl 47 to idle during movement of the carriage toward the left of the machine as viewed in Fig. 1. This will be readily understood by those versed in the typewriter and calculating machine arts.

The operation of the machine as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3,4 and 5 is as follows: A card the confines of the uides 11 and 12 and then the carriage is pus ed to the left, this being permitted by the loose connection between the escapement' pawls. When the carriage has been returned to the left-most column, or for that matter, to any desired column, the operator then depresses the keys 29 corresponding with the dat-a which he wishes to record on the card. Upon the depression of a key the respective marking instrumen-l tality 240 is depressed with a twisting motion so as to apply a spot of electrical conducting material on a portion of the column on the card which portion corresponds with the key depressed. Upon the depression of the key the flange 33 has been engaged by the respective key lever and caused to rock the shaft 3l thereby bringing the pawl 49 into engagement wit the ratchet wheel 46 and the pawl 47 out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 46 and permittin a very slight moves the key is released the pawl 49 returns to normal and the pawl 47 engages the top of the tooth with which it was previously in engagement Aand rides on the same, Whlle the ratchet wheel 46 advances under impulse of spring 4() until the pawl 47 engages the abrupt face of the next succeeding tooth. In this manner, the carriage is advanced from one column to another of the card and the data is indicated on" the card. When a column is reached in which no data is to be indicated, the space key, is depressed merely operating the shaft 31 to effect escapement of the carriage. If it -is desired to make a plurality of spots or marks in one column. on the document, the required keys are simultaneously depressed.

In the alternative form which I show in Figs. 6 and 7, I have provided a ribbon 60 mounted on spools 61 carried by the carriage and guided suitably under all of the marking plungers 63 which are held in the respective countersinks and are pressed upwardly by springs 64. The ribbon is impregnated with electrical conducting mate which are one-piece, and the use of a ribbon, this form of machine is constructed and operates in precisely the same manner as the form shown in Figs. l, 2, 3, 4'and 5.

It will be readily understood that the card could be mounted on a carriage and moved with relation to the marking instrumentalities and that various other changes, reversals, and equivalents could be employed without in any sense departing from the spirit of my invention; and I therefore do not limit myself to the exact embodiments herein shown nor to anything less than the whole of my invention as herein disclosed and as hereinafter specifically claimed.

What I claim is:

1. The combination of means for supporting a record, a carriage, means for supporting and moving said carriage transversely of said record, a plurality of holders mounted in said carriage and each formed with a spiral groove, a plurality of pins mounted on said carriage and each arranged in a respective one of said grooves, a marking material carrier for each of said holders and mounted in such manner as to be longitudinally movable with relation thereto and to be prevented from rotary movement with relation thereto, and means for operating said holders to effect rotary and reciprocating movement of said carriers.

2. The combination of means for support ing a record, a carriage supported for movement with relation to saidrecord supporting means, aplurality of holders mounted in said carriage and each formed with a longitudinal slot and a helical slot, pins mounted on said carriage and each arranged in the helical slot of a respective one of said holders, a plurality of carriers one for each of saidv holders and arranged in axial align ment therewith, a pin on each of said carriers and extending into the longitudinal slot of the respective holder, and means for operating said holders.

In testimony whereof I aiix my si nature.

WILLIAM W. LASKE JR.

. rial insuch manner that when a plunger 63 is depressed by one of the key leve s 26 a spot of electrical conducting material will be transferred from the ribbon to the card. Suitable feed and reverse mechanism may be provided for the ribbon and ma be of any type common and well known 1n the arts.

l,Such mechanisms are very well known in the typewriter and lcalculating machines arts.

ExceptY for the simplified marking plungers 

